Day 2: aka The Day I Had to Buy a Coat

Another fantastic day! I started early with breakfast at the hotel, where I had ham on my GF crumpets, and it was delicious. I also tried marmite...not quite as delicious!



After breakfast I had to pack up my things and sadly say goodbye to my wee hotel room. It is MUCH colder than I expected, mostly because of the wind chill, and it gets cooler faster in the evenings than I'm used to. I didn't bring a coat and I knew that was a risk, so I decided to go get one at a shopping center near the hotel. I had to carry my suitcase bag, and I am definitely re-thinking the benefits of a convertible backpack suitcase. It's not built as efficiently as a real hiking pack, so doesn't evenly distribute the load well, even though it holds quite a lot. I did a lot of walking with it fully loaded, and it was difficult. I chose it because I knew the hostel only had small lockers and I needed a collapsable bag. For this it is convenient, but it's not the best for doing too much walking about.

So anyway, I went shopping in this mall, and luckily they had an H&M, where I was able to pick up a light coat. I then headed off to the hostel to drop off my bag, and once that was done I made my way to Buck House, as I had pre-booked tickets to the Queen's Gallery and Royal Mews.


'allo Buckin'am!


Right up by the gates where they do they changing of the guard, which was called off today because of the weather.


The union jack flying says, "Oy! The queen ain't 'ere!"


In Texas we use barbed wire to keep people out.


Oh yes, there we go. Impressive!

I walked around the entire complex, and then entered the Queen's Gallery for the exhibition of Dutch Landscapes. The royal gallery is a massive and incredibly impressive collection of art acquired by the British monarchs over the years, and the gallery is able to put on themed exhibitions based on what's in the collection, which absolutely blows my mind. I can imagine the curators saying, "so, what shall we pop up this year?" "oh, well we've got about 20 17th century Dutch landscapes that George IV scrounged up back in the early 1800's, let's toss them on the walls and call it a day."

These paintings were spectacular, and I am astounded and in absolute awe that this small section of the royal collection was all acquired by George IV, who was a major collector.

The exhibition was put up in one small, and one large room, and expertly put together. The walls were covered in a rich cerulean colored fabric, which looked so nice with all these images of vast blue skies, puffy clouds and tossing seas.

In the next few rooms, there were selections from Carlton House, where Georgie displayed a lot of his collection. The building has since been torn down, but there are watercolors of the interior that are just amazing. Among all this splendor was Georgie's fondness for images of Cupid and Psyche, as well as royal portraits of the sitter as Diana, which I was particularly attracted to. And these rooms were again decorated in richly colored jewel tone fabrics, that gave all these gilt and sparking treasures the impression of precious gems in a very discerning jewelry box. I was too busy keeping my jaw from dropping to take pictures, so I apologize.


On next to the Royal Mews, where the carriages, cars and horses are kept and cared for. So called mews because back in the day this is where the king's falcons were kept while they molted, or in British English, mewed, and the name stuck. This is a working facility, and all along the upper part of these buildings are where the workers live.


Here is the Rolls Royce Phantom I (there are two) painted a very specific color. This is the car that picked up Catherine Middleton on her way to become Mrs. Prince Charming. She arrived a commoner....


And left a princess! Here is the 1902 State Landau that whisked away the happy couple.





In the saddle room, they had on display this set of bridles(?) that was a gift to Prince Philip, the Queen's husband, from Barack and Michelle Obama.


Coolest carriage of all is this MASSIVE Gold coach, which takes 8 horses and four riders to pull, and even then can only go at walking speed. It is the carriage that everyone uses for their coronations. Boggled!


This is my royal horsey friend, David. The queen names all the horses. I think there are 30?

After the excitement of the royal mews, and some serious restraint in the gift shop...I took a walk to the Cabinet War Rooms and Winston Churchill Museum, which was probably my favorite stop for the day, even though it was totally unplanned.

In 1939, these war rooms were secretly created underground, and Churchill, upon becoming PM in 1940, spent years down there leading the war effort. The rooms are exactly as they were back then, and it was incredibly fascinating to be there among the actual chairs, maps, and green colored scrambling telephones.


Here's Winston on the phone with Roosevelt.


The war rooms break off into a separate Churchill museum, which was ILLUMINATING. I learned to so much, and was fascinated by every aspect. Here is Winston's "jumper." I think this is where Juicy Couture got their ideas.


And the door to No. 10 Downing Street that was used by Churchill. I don't know why it was replaced, unless it was removed just to be in the museum.


On the walk from the C.W.R, I walked by THIS! and it looks so lovely in the rain, with a red phone box peaking in the corner.

Hungry! No lunch! Need sustenance! I found myself back in Leicester Square:


Although I couldn't have any of the sauces...which was a little sad. :(

I thought about seeing a play or HP7II, but tomorrow is an early day, and I still had to get checked into the hostel.


Sorry I didn't take a picture of the outside, but here is the cool staircase!


And my hidey-hole bed!


Peek-a-boo!

It does smell a bit like pee in here, but it's clean and the staff is friendly. There are a large amount of children running around, but the girls in my room are nice. The wifi only works in the lounge, and it was chock full of kids watching Rango. There are also only two plugs in the entire room of 10 people, so I will have to be delicate about battery usage.

Tomorrow I am taking the train from Waterloo to Windsor, where I'll tour the castle and the kitchens, which should be cool!

Day 1: aka The Day I Tasted Clotted Cream for the First Time and My Life Changed Forever.

Today was a great day! I got a late start on account of the sleeping pill I took, and so wandered down to Kensington Gardens which is right by my hotel.


This is the Round Pond, and there were hundreds of pigeons, swans, Canadian (are they Canadian if they're in London?) geese, and other water fowl. It was noisy and pretty funny.


Quack quack poop quack chirp honk feather rustle honk squeak poop quack honk



And here is Kensington Palace, the former home of Princess Diana. This was definitely something I've always wanted to see. Unfortunately, a large part has been closed for renovations, so instead of the costume gallery, they've installed a cheesy display inside called The Enchanted Palace. I was warned it's not worth the money.


So instead I went for lunch at The Orangery, a restaurant in the old orangery for Kensington Palace. Orangeries are indoor greenhouses where plants sensitive to cold climates (like orange trees) are stored.


Each table had a wee orange tree.


The renovated interior.


The Orangery also had gluten free options! The was a roast beef salad...and it was amazing.


They had one GF desert option, a raspberry filled meringue with cream and fresh berries. I'm currently of the opinion that clotted cream should be served on everything all the time.


Here I am, deftly taking my own photograph in front of Kensington Palace. I had asked a lady to do it for me, but it didn't come out very well. If you want something done right...

The lady asked me to take her picture, too, and as I wandered through the park I saw her a couple more times. Including here:


The Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fountain. I posted the sign below for more info about it. I was very happy it was open when I went, because last I heard it was closed for repairs, since the granite it is made from was slippery, and people were getting injured on it. The fountain is meant to be waded through. It was absolutely lovely, and very symbolic, and although we'll never know for sure, I think Princess Diana would be very pleased that her memorial is filled with happy, playing children, and adults enjoying the cool water on their feet.


Like me!





I then continued my walk down past the Albert Memorial, and the Royal V&A Hall, to the V&A Museum and the Natural History Museum. I didn't have time today to go into the V&A, so I made a quick stop at the Natural History Museum for about an hour. I didn't get to see too much, but as it was free I'll probably go back again. Plus there is a special exhibition on dinosaurs!


My next stop was a walking tour by London Walks. They do many tours every day, and you just go and pay the guide, no reservations required. This one was for Harry Potter! It started to rain, and I of course had forgotten my umbrella, but was able to get one before the tour started which I was grateful for. It was an interesting group, made up 99% giggling American teenagers with their disinterested chaperones. And since most filming wasn't done on location, the stuff we saw were really more points of interest, like where Jo Rowling worked, and how she got some of the names for the characters.


Here is where they shot the interior of Gringots for the first film. After the first movie, they used sets, since they had so much money at that point.


The guide asked questions, and while I was happy to let the kids get the stickers for answering the right questions, I was the only one who knew Dumbledore's full name. (There was some connection with Percival that I can't remember now.)



And here in Leicester Square is where all the HP premieres are held, the largest single screen theatre in the country.


And since Leicester Square has the Mermaid's Tail, a restaurant where I knew I could get GF food, I stopped in for dinner. Here's my prawn salad...



and my GF fish n' chips with mushy peas.


On the way home I stopped by a small Sainsbury's, where they have their own brand of GF foods. I picked these up to try out. I want to try out the gf crumpets at breakfast tomorrow. If they're good perhaps I'll bring some back home.

Tomorrow I have to check out of this adorable little hotel and move on the the hostel. I'm looking forward to meeting some people but I'm pretty fond of this wee room! Although it's cheap by London standards, I just can't maintain it for 10 more nights. Now I have to think about what to do between checking out of the hotel (before 11) and checking in to the hostel (after 2). I might be able to drop off my bag at the hostel.

Tomorrow is also my pre-booked tickets to the Royal Gallery at Buck House for the Dutch landscapes exhibition, then on to the Royal Mews for a "butchers" at the carriages and cars of the Queen.

The wifi at the hostel might be iffy, so don't fret if I can't post tomorrow (yeah I'm talking to you, Mom.)

Welcome to London, Alison

I managed to arrive safe and sound, and am currently sitting in my wee little hotel room, where I'll be for two nights.

First I have to thank JFK for selling gluten free snacks at their kiosks, and American Airlines for my gluten free meals.










After a rather short flight (only 6 hours), I waited in the border crossing line for about an hour, and was then yelled at by the officer for not filling out the form correctly, in addition to the "What do you mean you don't know anyone here? What are you doing here then?" The agent next to her was yelling at a family because they didn't speak english. I assume both these agents are still pretty upset about Amy Winehouse, so I let it slide this time.

From the airport I had to get on the Heathrow Express, and after almost getting on the Heathrow Connect (I dunno, they looked the same to me), I arrived at Paddington Station, where I was hoping to take the Tube to the hotel. But of course, the two lines I could take aren't running to Paddington until the 24th, so I took a taxi.

I've only ever heard that London cab drivers are real characters and will talk your ear off, but mine must've been cut from a different cloth because he was downright shy and timid.

So I got to the hotel and climbed 5 flights of stairs to my room which is pretty cute.





Tomorrow I have nothing planned except to walk around, get a few groceries and maybe do a walking tour. Until then, travel friends!

Packing Light-A Video Blog

Please forgive the poor quality. Post comments and your packing light mantras below, I'm eager to learn your tips!

Travel Purses and Daypacks

I wanted to make a quick post about the two bags I'll be using on my upcoming trip to London, not including the suitcase, which I'll go over in my packing blog.

Since I'm traveling solo, I did opt for some extra protection with my bags this time.  I think it's important to wear travel bags as cross body or as backpacks, because not only do they make heavy loads easier to carry (think a long day of shopping!) but they are also the most secure on your body. Living in NYC, I've not had any problem with regular zippered purses and the like, but while I'm traveling I'll be juggling more valuable items like a camera and iPod. While I strongly encourage you to look your best while traveling, making a small sacrifice on style for a bag is worth it to me. So leave your designer bags at home! The ones I've chosen I feel are the best compromise between security (and peace of mind) and style/good looks.

I have two bags that I've already traveled with that I'll show you here, once is a purse and the other is a daypack. They are both made by Pacsafe and are Anti-theft bags made specifically for travel. The links are included, and you can see more details and videos on the Pacsafe website. They include the coolest safety features like slash proof fabric and straps, and zippers that clip to the bag.

My "purse" is the Pacsafe Metrosafe 200:

Click for link

It's much more compact and doesn't fit very much more than just what I need for the day. I actually have it in this purple color, which I think makes it look more fun and less "travel gearesque" than some travel bags I've seen.  This bag straps across my body, and has two expandable side pockets for water, umbrella or sunglasses. The main flap opens up to a secured zippered pocket with spaces for gadgets. I find the headphone port extra handy, since I'll be listening to walking tours on my iPod. This way, the iPod is safe and heavily clipped into the bag, but I can still listen and walk around hands free. (I really enjoy the Apple headphones with the remote, because you can pause and advance and control the volume without actually touching the iPod itself.) The bag is, as I said, only big enough for what you want to carry for the day, so for the longer day trips I'll be taking or on the days I think I'll do shopping, I carry this Pacsafe Toursafe sling and backpack:

Click for link

I love this bag, as it's a little more sleek, deceptively roomy on the inside, and converts from a sling to a backpack. It includes all the same wonderful safety features, so you can rest assured that even though it's on your back, no one can get into it without a good deal of noticeable effort. I still sling it around my front when in crowded places like the metro. This pack holds my light jacket in it very well, with some room to spare, but looks very compact on my back. Mine is black, but the company carries it in "tabasco" (more of a salmon) and a beige color that look very nice. There are of course plenty of pockets on the inside, as well as two hidden zippers on the outside. The only negative is that the opening is a little small, making it harder to get the big things at the bottom in and out. But it's also a plus in that same way, I suppose, if the person rummaging through your bag isn't you! 

I like the daypack for the internal space and I can comfortably carry more weight with this on. It isn't, as I mentioned, as easily accessible. To get something out, you have to take it off, bring it around, open it up, get when you need, put it back and then put the pack back on. With the cross body, I get get almost anything with only one hand and some determination. 

So those are my bags! I'll show my suitcase in a future post, but please let me know if you have suggestions for travel bags or other thoughts!

How to Maintain Style While Traveling

Unless you're planning on wading through swamps, tromping through forests, climbing glaciers or any other number of travel vacations that involve specialized clothing, you should be able to travel to places and not stick out as a tourist. I live in New York City, and everyday see someone who is so obviously a tourist I usually try to get a little closer to hear what crazy accent they might have. Now, surely these visitors don't dress this way when they're at home. New York is my home and I don't dress like a tourist when out for the day. So how can a traveler balance a need for comfortable, functional clothing and accessories without looking like a goofball?

And what's more, can you travel comfortably and look, dare I say...chic? C'est possible? OUI!

 

How to go from A tourist... to The Tourist

Now, I'm not entirely advocating that you strive to look like Angelina Jolie in The Tourist while flitting around Europe, but perhaps there this a middle ground between the pictures above? Hmmmm? Yes, let's explore a few ways I've found to maintain a well groomed, sophisticated, and low-profile appearance while traveling. 

Tip #1: Don't stand out, for worse or for better.

Anything you can do to "blend" in to your surroundings will help you feel more at ease. If you look more like a local, you don't have to be as tense about getting singled out by pick pockets (although yes, you still need to be careful). In New York we see people that look like that picture on the left. Sneakers and white socks, fanny packs, backpacks, sunglasses on strings, baseball caps and a loud voice that announces to the hoard they're with  on a crowded subway, "Y'ALL WE'RE GETTIN' OFF IN THREE MORE STOPS, YOU HEAR? YOU BEST PAY ATTENTION! I jus' cannot wait to get back the hotel, muh dogs are barkin'!"

I'm personally not a big fan of jeans, especially while traveling. They're heavy and take up a lot of valuable suitcase space, and are hard to clean without a laundromat while on the go. The jeans that most people wear are light washed or have holes in them, and are often paired with printed t-shirts. I like to think of traveling, especially to Europe, as an opportunity to be an American Ambassador. I don't want people looking at me and thinking, "Eww." It's the 'Sunday Best' rule--even though you can't know for sure if God approves of your outfit, you try and show respect in His house anyway by wearing your nicer things. 

On the other end of the spectrum, I have traveled with people who refused to wear anything but high heels and mini skirts. High heels are only practical if you plan on doing A LOT of people watching in a locale that doesn't include many cobble stone streets. And wearing skimpy clothing will get you banned from entering a lot of places, in addition to becoming the focus of SUPER CREEPY wandering eyes (and disapproving glares from older ladies). Most of this clothing isn't easy to wash, and these people end up packing the world's largest suitcase. Usually these types of tourists require a greater amount of primping in the morning, which takes up valuable time as well as suitcase space with all those products! Some good advice from Rick Steves is that you can't travel heavy, happy, and cheap. You can only have two of those things. 

Now, you're obviously a tourist if you're at a tourist site. The hope is that you can look like a local who just decided to go for a stroll next to that tourist site. Unless you're a major photographer, keep your camera hidden when you're not taking pictures. Write down directions on discreet pieces of paper or a journal before you go, or while sitting at a cafe, instead of fumbling with a large fold-out map and squinting around you for a street name. Cover your guide books with a book cover, made from a paper grocery bag, so that its not as obvious. Or better yet, tear out the sections you need and stick those in a playbill, a cardstock cover, or some other shielding device. Reading guidebooks while you're out an about is a dead giveaway that you're not from around these here parts. Utilize the amazing technology we have these days! I have London Tube maps, city maps (the London A-Z) and several audio-walking tours all pre-loaded on my iPod, so that when I'm out I just look like I'm jammin' to some tunes. Just be  careful about where you use it and where you stash it!

Tip #2: Neutrals, neutrals, neutrals! (Plus a few fab accessories!)

Neutrals help you to blend in to the crowds, but also provide a great canvas for some fun, easy to pack accessories. I love to bring along a few lovely silk scarves and cheap pins and brooches, which can be combined with any outfit to snazz it up a bit. My favorite neutrals are darker- black, navy blue, and gray. Not the most vibrant of palettes, but when worn correctly those colors are rather elegant together. I bring skirts, shirts and cardigans in combinations of those colors, so it's very easy to mix and match. Here's me, wearing a plain blue cotton/poly scoop neck shirt, made fancy by the addition of a scarf and some fun, cheap shades:

It's important to choose clothing that has some rayon or polyester in it, if you plan on doing laundry while abroad. These fabrics dry much faster than cotton, and and more forgiving about wrinkles. They also tend to drape like silk. Here are some good options from Magellan's: 

Tip #3: No more money belts!

Say what? Isn't that Traveling Safe 101? Unless this system really works for you, I say try to not carry a money belt. I do not enjoy adding an inch thick bit of padding to my stomach. Not very elegant! Instead, I look for clothing with hidden pockets, often in the waistband, or add them to skirts and pants myself (See the clothes above). Invisible zippers are easy to install, and can include and small latch as well. If you're not into sewing yourself, a tailor can easily add a pocket for you. This is especially nice if you have an item of clothing you already really like. There are some money belts that attach to your ankles, too, if you're wearing pants. I once saw a skirt slip that had a hidden pocket included in the hem. Cool! I personally like to wear compression shorts under my skirts for a multitude of reasons, and these are very easy to add pockets to, and slightly less awkward to get to (if the pocket is on the leg) instead of stuffing your hands down your pants. 

Tip #4: Tell your dogs to quit their barkin' without smothering them in sneakers.

I totally get that you think sneakers are going to keep your feet comfortable. I happen to think you are wrong. I could make an argument here about the reasons sneakers and all that padding are actually making your feet hurt more, but I won't. Instead, I'll show you what I use and then give you sneaker lovers an option that, while not perfect, at least isn't a blasted ugly sneaker. 

I generally walk around in ballet flats with little to no padding, and my feet have not hurt in a long time, even after walking several miles! Probably because my feet have gotten stronger by being in closer contact with the earth on which they were meant to trod! But because we must be careful about where we step, it does make sense to have some protection between your tootsies and the cruel, urban ground. Enter in: the athletic flat. A genius combination of a cute ballet flat, with a little more oomph for a sole. They are usually very good about not rubbing or causing blisters, either. Puma makes some good ones, as does RocketDog. Here's my pair by Ann Klein Sport (although mine are all black): 

I walk all over New York with these on, and have never gotten a blister or a barking pup. For those weening off sneakers, try a cushy pair of Clarks, a good company that is finally coming out with some non-ugly options:

I just happen to think that ballet flats are the best option for traveling. They're light, easily packable, and they look about a million times better than your adidas. Especially when you're wearing nicer looking clothing than jeans and a t-shirt. Which you are. Cause you're reading my blog. 

Tip #5: Practice your up-do's. 

What my hair looks like always tends to be an issue when I'm traveling. Unless you have naturally lovely hair that air-dries to perfection (congratulations), how can you keep your hair prim without carting around all your tools? As big of an advocate for packing light as I am, I do give in to two things: a travel hair dryer and a travel straightener. And even though they don't get my hair looking as faboosh as at home, they do enough to tame the mane and allow me to be presentable to the dignified Europeans. 

Another tip is to carry dry shampoo, my favorite being Oscar Blandi's Pronto Dry Shampoo.  This can help to extend your style, so you don't have to struggle every morning trying to make it look presentable. 

My final hair tip is to learn an easy up-do or two you can do on yourself. It might just be a slick pony-tail, or something a little more complex like the chignon I like to wear. Whipping you hair up into a nice 'do can save you from a fried hairdryer, a broken shower, or any other problems that might come in the way of you and looking your best. Just as long as it's not a blob tied up on top of your head, your simple up-do will help you look put together. It can also make an evening out a more elegant affair. Hairspray is my friend on these days. It slicks back the weird hairs that just won't fall in to place, and helps me keep my cool on windy or rainy days. Here's my go-to up-do. I wear this on my "dirty hair days" and with practice, it only takes me about 5-10 minutes to complete, much less time than washing, drying and straightening my hair. 

Tip #6: Make sure it fits well and is flattering!

Some women will buy a pair of shoes in every color when they find some they love. I'm like that, but with skirts and shirts. If it's flattering and most importantly versatile, I'll buy it in every color if I can. I have simple jersey skirts from target in black (2) gray, purple, teal and brown. And the shirt I'm wearing in both of the pictures on this blog are the same shirt in navy and pink, which I also have in salmon, black, and white. They are from H&M, and I only got them about a month ago. I feel very comfortable in them, an enjoy the scoop neck, the longer sleeves, and the ability to easily wear them tucked or untucked. The colors happened to be excellent, as well. Now, this might not be practical for your situation, but for me it works really well. I'm able to mix and match these pieces and change the look with scarves, pins, necklaces and cardigans. 

I'm 5'8", and love to wear skirts and dresses. That usually translates to me wearing skirts and dresses 3-4 inches too short. Yikes! I've recently been sewing my own clothing, which has helped with the problem. And as such, I've been able to make custom clothes for travel! If again, this isn't a practical option, make sure you get your clothes tailored if they don't fit you as well as you'd like, especially if you buy clothes just for their travel perks (like the items from Magellans). Tailoring is a cheap fix to a lovely garment that can make it look like it was meant to be worn by you. The skirts posted above from Magellans were actually too long on me, so they needed to be hemmed, and one skirt was too wide in the hips on me. Once I addressed these issues with tailoring, these skirts look great, instead of being matronly or baggy. I like stretchy clothing that fits a little closer to the body, because it helps to accentuate the small bits while being forgiving on the large bits. 

So here they are, my little nuggets of advice on how to travel in style. I fully understand that style is subjective, and I know that my suggestions might not mesh with your look. My style does tend towards the A-line skirt and dress variety, but slacks and blouses can work just as well with these ideas. These are merely my personal choices on how I manage to travel and look relatively put together, without sacrificing comfort or function. 

A follow-up blog on packing light will follow in the next week. Please let me know if you have any other tips or suggestions!